Ante-Post Update – Lethal Force and Flintshire the market movers

Lethal Force was the big market mover after an action-packed July meeting at Newmarket. He followed up his victory at Royal Ascot by making every post a winning one in the Group One July Cup and is now clear favourite for the Nunthorpe Stakes at 3-1.

Shea Shea and Sole Power are both priced at 5-1 with the latter in particular likely to be suited by the drop back to five furlongs. He could not quite sustain his run over the extra furlong at a sun-baked Newmarket, eventually finishing a close fifth.

Runner-up Society Rock is quoted at 10-1 with third-placed Slade Power at 16-1. Lethal Force’s stable companion Reckless Abandon, forced to miss the July Cup due to a minor ailment, is priced at 8-1 for the big sprint at York.

Action abroad centred on the Grand Prix de Paris with victory going to Andre Fabre’s Flintshire in impressive fashion. Coral were sufficiently impressed to cut him to 5-1 joint-favourite with Intello for the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe. Coral Eclipse winner Al Kazeem remains 6-1 for the Longchamp race.

Classic clues were thin on the ground at Newmarket this week with Bahrain Trophy winner Feel Like Dancing given a 20-1 quote for the At Leger by Coral. He was a third consecutive winner in the race for trainer John Gosden. Galileo Rock remains the 4-1 market leader.

Lucky Kristale was given a 33-1 quote for next season’s 1000 Guineas after she upset hot favourite Rizeena in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. Clive Brittain’s runner-up, such an impressive winner of the Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot, was pushed out to 20-1 to win the Newmarket classic.

Mark Johnston’s tough campaigner Universal earned a 16-1 quote for the King George after battling to a well-deserved success this week. St Nicholas Abbey is currently 9-4 for the Ascot race ahead of Cirrus Des Aigles at 5-2 and Trading Leather at 4-1.